Adjustment means for jogging machine



March 3, 1970 s.- s. KOVAL 3,493,601

ADJUSTMENT MEANS FOR JOGGING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1968 INV EN TOR.

SfephenJT/(ova/ By Dav/s, Hox/e, Faithfu/l 8Hapg00d A fiorneys United States Patent 3,498,601 ADJUSTMENT MEANS FOR JOGGING MACHINE Stephen S. Koval, Riverdale, N.Y., assignor to Ilya Scheinker, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 725,121 Int. Cl. B65h 31/34, 1/00 U.S. Cl. 27189 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A jogging machine for stacking paper sheets and other sheets in a neat pile; has eccentric weights on a rotating shaft in position accessible for adjustment easily. One Weight is axially and rotatively movable with reference to the other, without using tools, by pushing it axially against a spring bias, then turning it and releasing it into its new position, wherein it is maintained by a pin and slot connection during machine operation.

This invention relates to a jogging machine and, more particularly, to means to adjust the amount of or amplitude of vibration of such a machine. In Patent No. 2,573,164 of Ilya Scheinker dated Oct. 30, 1951, a machine is disclosed for aligning, straightening and stacking of sheets of paper and the like wherein the motion of the machine, in connection with the parts of the table on which the sheets are placed, causes the sheets to automatically stack themselves in a neat pile.

That machine achieved considerable commercial success and proved itself to be of great utility over the years. However, the weights, Whose adjustment it was frequently necessary to alter when different types of paper or other materials were to be stacked, had to be covered by a housing to avoid danger to the operator of the machine. Such housing placed an obstacle in the way of the hands of the user of the machine when adjustment was to be made. This housing, in connection with the location of the adjustment screws under the vibrated table, made it quite difiicult to adjust the relative position of the weights on their shaft. The adjuster himself had to stoop and then put his hands under the table interiorly of the machine to engage the adjustment screw, usually with an implement such as a wrench or pliers, to loosen and then retighten the weight in its new position of adjustment. He could not see well in the semi-darkness under the table and that added to the difl'iculty of adjustment.

According to the present invention, these difliculties, above described, are overcome and the adjustment is greatly facilitated by reconstructing and relocating the adjustment weights on the end of the shaft on which they are mounted and by extending the neck of one weight toward the end of the shaft outside the housing into an easily accessible position. In addition, the adjustable weight is connected to its shaft by a pin and slot connection that can be placed in several different angular positions easily with the aid of a marker to indicate the particular positions of adjustment. Further, the interengagement of the weights relative to each other is under spring bias which can be overcome by moving one weight axially against the spring preliminary to release of the weight from its connection with the shaft temporarily while its position is being varied.

The objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In describing the invention, complete familiarity with the machine of the Scheinker Patent No. 2,573,164 will be assumed; the disclosure of that patent is thus hereby incorporated by reference herein.

In the drawings,

6 Claims FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view, partly broken away, of a jogging machine of the kind described in said Patent 2,573,164 with the new invention incorporated therein.

FIGURE 2 is a detailed perspective view of the adjustable weights and" their mounting on their shaft.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation view, partly broken away, of the adjusting mechanism within its housing as mounted on the underside of the jogging table.

In the following description, reference numerals will be used, insofar as possible, similar to those used in the Scheinker Patent.

The jogging machine for imparting the complex jogging motion is located between a stationary platform 30, preferably rectangular, and a vibrating table 40. The platform may be adjustably and tiltably mounted on a base (not shown) such as is described in said Scheinker patent. The vibrating table is supported by resilient springs (not shown) as described in said patent.

Secured to the bottom surface of the table 40 are a pair of parallel bearing members in which is rotatably supported a shaft 52, preferably lying parallel to a diagonal of the the table 40. The bearing members may be secured to the table by bolts 54 or any suitable means. Adjacent each end of the shaft 52 are a pair of eccentrically mounted weights for members 56, 58. Each set of weights is covered over and protected from access and accidental contact by a housing 70 of generally semicylindrical shape with four upturned supporting lugs 71 secured by bolts 72 to the underside of the table 40. The housing has parallel plane sidewalls through which the shaft 52 extends.

In order that, as the shaft rotates, these weights shall create a condition that will cause the vibratory action of the table and the jogging into a neat pile of the papers thereon, it is necessary that the center of gravity of said Weights be eccentric to the shaft axis. And the distance of the center of gravity relative to the shaft axis must be adjustable in order to vary the amplitude of motion.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated herein, the pairs of weights at each end of the shaft are identical, and therefore they will be described together. They may be of generally square section with two opposite corners rounded, and with an eccentrically located bore for the reception of shaft 52. But, obviously, the weights may take other form. The weight 56 preferably is secured in semi-permanent relation upon the shaft 52 by a set screw or bolt 53. It is desirable, however, that the weight 58 be mounted by a more readily adjustable means and for this purpose the weight 58 has a neck 59 coaxial with shaft 52 extending in the direction opposite the weight 56. There is an enlarged cylindrical head 60 on the end of the neck.

In the outer radial face of the head 60 are cut a series I of angularly spaced radial semi-cylindrical grooves 62,

preferably but not necessarily five in number, equally spaced throughout 180 to receive in any one or another of them a radial pin 64 mounted fixedly in the shaft 52 adjacent its end.

Between the weights 56, 58 on the shaft 52, is a coiled compression spring 66 which presses against the fixed weight 56 and urges the weight 58 axially away from it toward the end of the shaft 52 and thus holds the head 60 in engagement with the positioning pin 64, with the pin 64 in whichever of grooves 62 of the head 60 it is in register.

The neck and head extend outside of the housing 70 through the end of wall of the housing in position for the head to be grasped by the hand of the user for the purpose of adjustment. To adjust the position of the weight 58, the user grasps the head 60 and pushes it and its weight 58 axially inwardly along the shaft 52 until the pin 64 is disengaged from the head. Then the head and weight may be rotated to register the pin 64 with another groove 62, after which the user releases the manual pressure which he has been exerting and allows the weight to return axially along the shaft 52 under the bias of the spring 66 until the head again engages the pin 64 in the newly selected groove 62. For assisting the location of the adjustment, a marker 66 may be cut or painted or indicated in any suitable fashion on the end of the shaft 52 so that by noting the position of the pin 64 with respect to the marker the variation in the adjustment can be noted.

A stop 57 may be provided as a lateral projection from the weight 56 into the path of rotation of the weight 58 during the period of adjustment. The stop will thus be engaged by one surface of the Weight 58 in one extreme period of adjustment (refer to FIGURE 2), but will allow the weight 58 to be rotated counterclockwise (still referring to FIGURE 2) into any one of the five different positions of adjustment. When the weight 58 has been rotated 180, another surface of it will engage the stop 57. It is not necessary for the adjustment to proceed beyond 180 because after passing the 180 position, the change in adjustment would merely duplicate a position previously available in the rotation through the first 180.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides a very easy means of adjustment, and ability to manipulate the adjustment means from a readily accessible position, while at the same time providing an easily visible indication of the several variations that are possible for adjustment.

As in the prior patent, the shaft 52 is rotated by an electric motor 76 mounted on the fixed platform 30 through the agency of a pulley, preferably a double pulley 74, on the motor shaft. A belt 72 is trained around the pulley 74 and around a similar pulley 51 on the middle of the shaft 52 between the bearings 50.

Modifications Within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific form and configuration of parts illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A jogging machine having a stationary platform, a vibratory table and means resiliently supporting said vibratory table above the stationary table, in combination with mechanism for vibrating said vibratory table comprising a motor mounted on said platform, a shaft mounted on said table and means connecting said shaft and motor for rotating the shaft, a plurality of Weights eccentrically mounted on said shaft, means to afiix one of said weights to said shaft, another of said weights being axially and rotatively movable on said shaft, a housing mounted on said table enclosing said weights, an extension on one of said weights surrounding said shaft and extending outside said housing adjacent the end of said shaft in position for easy manual engagement, and means on said shaft engageable with said extension in different rotary positions of the extension to maintain said extension in different positions of adjustment on said shaft.

2. A jogging machine having a stationary platform, a vibratory table and means resiliently supporting said vibratory table above the stationary table, in combination with mechanism for vibrating said vibratory table comprising a motor mounted on said platform, a shaft mounted on said table and means connecting said shaft and motor for rotating the shaft, a plurality of weights eccentrically mounted on said shaft, means to afiix one of said weights to said shaft, another of said weights being axially and rotatively movable on said shaft, and an extension on one of said Weights surrounding said shaft adjacent the end of said shaft in position for easy manual engagement, and means on said shaft engageable with said extension in different rotary positions of the extension to maintain said extension in different positions of adjustment on said shaft, and spring means between said Weights biasing the extension of said axially movable weight toward engagement with said means-on-the-shaft.

3. A jogging machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means-on-the-shaft is a radial pin, and said weight extension is formed to receive said pin in different positions of adjustment of said weight on the shaft.

4. A jogging machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said extension of said axially movable weight has radial angularly spaced grooves formed in a radial face thereof, and said means-on-the-shaft is a radial pin adapted to seat in one or another of said grooves.

5. A jogging machine having a stationary platform, a vibratory table and means resiliently supporting said vibratory table above the stationary table, in combination with mechanism for vibrating said vibratory table comprising a motor mounted on said platform, a shaft mounted on said table and means connecting said shaft and motor for rotating the shaft, weight means eccentrically mounted said shaft and being axially movable along and rotatably adjustable on said shaft, first radially extending means on said shaft, second radially extending means integral with said weight means engageable with said first radial means in different angular positions of adjustment of said weight means, and biasing means maintaining said first and second radial means in engaged position but permitting axial movement to disengage them for adjustment.

6. A jogging machine as claimed in claim 5 having a housing enclosing said weight means, said second radial means extending through said housing to permit adjustment exteriorly of the housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,728,237 12/1955 Galbraith 74-87 EDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 7461 

